


Distractions.

by EtherealGhost



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Comfort, Comfort Sex, Domestic, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, Get rekt Izaya, M/M, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Shizaya - Freeform, Shizuo trying to distract Izaya from his inner demons, Smut, Thunderstorms, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-07-29 06:25:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7673515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealGhost/pseuds/EtherealGhost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This was an entirely new, cold world that had opened up to the informant. His irritation over the rain had quickly been replaced by childlike wonder and enjoyment as he was shown that there was even more to discover on rainy days as such. "</p><p>Izaya learns that perhaps storms aren't as scary as they seem; especially when in the protective embrace of the one he once loathed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izaya discovers the hidden world behind the raindrops.

            To the man- skipping and twirling and laughing about in the gloomy weather- rain had never been much of a worry. The soft pitter-patter against the many surfaces of which small droplets would fall upon only managed to relax his senses. The harsh bite of the autumn wind would chill his bones, it would turn his once porcelain skin into a flushed red, alerting him to the fact that his body was working hard to keep him warm.

            Perhaps, back when he was young and naive, reckless yet determined, the informant could have held a slight distaste for the rain. How it would make all ‘his’ beloved humans flee to shelter, as if getting wet would destroy their very being. This would annoy him to no end, and cut his play time short as he too, would retire to his home to instead mope around on whatever forms or chat rooms he'd stumble across.  
           

            But, then, something _miraculous_ happened. Maybe others wouldn't see it as miraculous, but to him it was just that.

            The weather forecast hadn't called for rain. But, when he exited the small library he happened to be meeting a client in and was instantly pelted with heavy, cold droplets of water, he started to wonder if the meteorologists actually knew what they were doing. He had become irritated, and stood there silently as he watched his humans flee and scurry and retreat to shelter. It left him in a sour mood as he stomped away from the library, water splashing up around him as his heavy steps hit the ground. How dare the rain ruin his day like this! How dare his humans flee from something as mundane as _rain!_ He was practically seething. Well, that was until something entirely new peaked his interests.  
           

            It seemed that even if some of his precious, simple-minded humans had retired for the night; some souls, lost perhaps, still wandered about with each of them expressing something akin to… What was that somber look upon their faces? Sorrow, maybe even anger?  
This was an entirely new, cold world that had opened up to the informant. His irritation over the rain had quickly been replaced by childlike wonder and enjoyment as he was shown that there was even more to discover on rainy days as such.

            Whether it was a man, worrying not over his business wear as he stared up into the sky, droplets rolling down his face, eyes lost and hollow. Or a group a children, laughing and screaming in delight as they splashed in the puddles starting to form on the wet concrete of both the road and sidewalk. The informant loved each and every reaction, every emotion these either lost or innocent souls would put on display for him. After all, he was Izaya Orihara, and reading into his beautiful humans actions and emotions was what he did best.  
           

            Not to mention, during his first venture out into the rain a strange encounter with a certain brute was left, burned into the back of his mind. Something strange had happened, something that had repeated over and over again each time Izaya found himself once more strolling through the rain in Ikebukuro.  
           

            Perhaps, that was the very reason Izaya kept coming back on the gloomy days.  
         

           After that, Izaya had come to actually _love_ rainy days such as the current day. For once, the weather forecast had been spot on when they called for cloudy skies and downpours for the next few days. He hadn't wasted time in sending Namie home for the day and leaving his house with the intent of people watching.

           People watching is exactly what he did, too. Izaya didn't bother with an umbrella, even when the rain started coming down hard. Yes, that wasn't the smartest on his part, considering he got sick pretty easily, but that worry was the last thing on his mind as he spent time in Ikebukuro, watching all the different reactions towards the rain.

            The info broker had watched for a while, before a childlike longing had started to overcome his mind and body. The need to just _run_ and _splash_ and _have fun_ in the rain was great. There was a strange sense that was bubbling in his chest as he watched a small group of children do just that, and he felt a bit envious. Surely, he could do that too, right? It was only rain, why couldn't he have a bit fun?  
           

            Izaya wasn't someone to be underestimated. If he had his mind set on something, he was damn well going to do whatever that something was. After all, his clothing was already wet, so he might as well enjoy himself.  
           

            So, now the informant, soaked to the bone, ran happily throughout the city as the skies continued to darken. The rain was pelting down harder now, causing the roads to become flooded a bit as the drains had trouble keeping up. Not that he minded, though. That just meant there were more puddles for him to splash around in as laughter, almost maniacal sounding, burst from his chest, filling the quiet, abandoned streets with its sound.

            While he pranced about, he wondered if a certain someone would grace him with their presence tonight. That would be awfully nice; the rain was getting a bit boring and Izaya could do for some entertainment to help him out.  
           

            With that thought and new goal now in his mind, the soaked boy took off, deeper into the quiet city as he kept his eyes peeled, searching for the one he wanted to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!  
> So, first fic I've ever posted here haha I hope ya'll like it!
> 
> Also, this is dedicated to my best bro Crying_Chan who always supports my gay shit and keeps my spirits up even when days suck ILY BRUH STAY RAD <3 <3


	2. I Think You See Where This Is Headed.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shizuo over-complicates his emotions while watching the rain fall, and waiting for a certain flea to show up.

            Smoking was a nasty habit.

            Yeah; he was well aware of that, even as he finished the over the counter exchange with the cashier. New box of cigs in one hand, change leftover from the purchase left behind in a tip jar. There was a quick exchange of, ‘Goodbye’s’ and ‘Have a nice evening’ as the blond turned away from the counter, a small wave accompanying his words to the cashier.

            Smoking was a nasty habit; but, he’d take that over having no stressor to help cool his temper. There was only so much debt he could put himself in, and at the moment the amount he already owed to the city was looking pretty high.

            Why should that be _his_ fault though? Sure, he was the one who caused all the damage, but weren’t the people who provoked him just as guilty?

            Why was it that when the name ‘Shizuo Heiwajima’ was spoken, with it came all sorts of individuals looking to fight? Were they trying to prove something?

            Shizuo himself didn’t really understand why. He didn’t _want_ to understand why.

            All he _wanted_ was a damn cigarette before he started to decide that the small convenience stores’ door would look a lot better with a gaping hole through it. Though, that idea was looking more and more brilliant in his mind once he stepped outside and was faced with a downpour that could cure any drought. It had barely even been sprinkling when Shizuo entered the store, and he had only been in there for about five minutes! How on earth did it go from a simple drizzle to all the clouds deciding to let it all out at once?

            Shizuo couldn’t find it in himself to get more irritated though, surprisingly. Instead he simply felt… Unfazed over the current situation. Sure, he still felt like he could punch a hole straight through that shammy door, but a sort of tranquil feeling was holding him back from doing so.

            The man, clad in a bartender uniform, was thankful as he stepped out into the chilly night, to find that there was at least an awning he could stand under to stay dry from the heavy rain. This way, he could take a quick smoke break and wait out the rain as much as possible. Eventually, he knew that he’d have to face it head on and just walk home. Thankfully, he wasn’t _too_ far from his apartment complex.

            Shizuo let out a soft sigh, barely audible over the heavy downpour, as he ripped open the new box of cigarettes and settled one of the sticks between his lips. With the routine already down, he swapped the box for the small, black lighter in his pocket, and wasted no time in lighting up the end of the stick, quickly inhaling in soon afterward.

            The thick, heavy tendrils of smoke, curling up so deliciously in his strong lungs, had Shizuos' eyelids drooping heavily upon the waves of relief washing so heavenly over his body. It was amazing how something so unhealthy could make him feel so, _so_ good. Though… He supposed that that was true for one other thing, too.

            Rather, not a _thing_ , but a _someone_.

            A someone who used to make him feel nothing but _hate_ and _pure seething rage_.

            A someone who used to torture his everyday life; who practically made living Shizuos' own personal hell.

            But now… He wasn't exactly sure _how_ he felt anymore. Everything had changed so suddenly a few weeks ago, on that gloomy, rainy day.

            Why, out of all the things he could have done in that moment; why did Shizuo stop chasing the flea and instead invite him over to his place, with the offer of getting dried off and crashing on the couch?

            Why had Izaya, eyes suspicious at first, accepted that offer with the hints of a grateful smile? Why had he willingly walked at Shizuo's side, and entered Shizuo's apartment with his guard lowered, even if it was just by a tad? Surely the hand shoved into his soaked jackets pocket was wrapped around one of his precious knives, just in case.

            Perhaps it was the weather, so bone chillingly cold that had made them act that way.

            Perhaps, it was the innocent, childlike enjoyment Shizuo had seen in Izaya that night that made him suddenly calm down. Because when it all came down to it, Shizuo finally realized what was hidden behind Izaya's cold, tentative walls. He was simply a child, lost and desperate for attention. For _Shizuo's attention_. But, when he got rejected? He lashed out with his mind games. Shizuo had a strange feeling Izaya had never been introduced to rejection when he was younger, and that was why he had such a hard time facing it now.

            Of course, his guess could easily be just as wrong. Izaya was an extremely hard person to read, even when his walls lowered themselves just a bit on rainy days such as these. Even if that was the case, that didn't excuse all of the horrible, _horrible_ things Izaya had done to people throughout his years, and Shizuo definitely wasn't just going to look past that.

           It was the simple fact that it was just getting harder and harder to get so angry lately-- _Especially_ at Izaya. Instead, a somber feeling, something he wasn't entirely used to, had settled uncomfortably in Shizuo's chest ever since that day. It was as if he were confused, angry, and somewhat sad all at the same time, turning into this jumbled mess of unidentifiable emotion.

           It was strange, because within all of that emotion, he could feel one other thing that stood out. One emotion, so raw, so strong that he didn't _want_ to believe it was actually there.

            God, he felt like a teenager harboring a puppy crush.

            He only wondered if the one who caused that puppy crush would choose to show his face tonight.

            Fluffy, grey clouds of smoke tumbled from Shizuo's lips as he exhaled the drag he had taken, dissipating into the air and filling the area with the heavy stench of cigarettes. The rain was still coming down hard, relentless as it soaked the city. At this point, it didn’t look like it was going to let up anytime soon. Shizuo wondered if there was going to be a storm; the sky seemed to suggest the beginnings of one. Sure, Ikebukuro had gotten plenty of rain within the month, but not as many storms. It had actually been awhile since Shizuo had last seen lightning crackle across the sky, or heard the distant deep rumble of thunder. He didn’t mind storms much, rather, he found them calming. He felt like he could really relate to them. Right now, though, he was going to enjoy the ‘calm before the storm’ as much as he could while he finished his cigarette. Eventually, he’d have to face the rain and walk home, and he would once he felt like doing so.

            Tilting his head back, Shizuo could feel the cold brick of the convenience store wall up against his head, and he sighed once more. Within moments of standing there, he quickly fell into a routine of ‘take a drag, think about confusing emotions, exhale the drag’ and could feel himself relaxing even more. Both the pitter-patter of the raindrops hitting the awning overhead, and the cigarette that was almost finished had succeeded in putting him in a more tranquil state of mind.

            Shizuo was just about to finish off his cig when a high pitched sound suddenly drifted over to him. It had been muffled, but it was clearly audible even through the loud rain. Almost automatically, his eyes darted to where it had come from. That sound _definitely_ did not come from the rain, so where _had_ it come from?

            He had to squint just so he could try to see past the shower of rain hazing his vision. There was definitely something off into the distance, moving around almost erratically. God, why did this remind Shizuo of some shitty scary movie? Well, a spirit better bet that it’ll get it’s ghastly ass handed to it if it suddenly decided to come after him. He didn’t give a shit; he’d punch a ghost if he had too.

            The sound happened again, and Shizuo finally recognized it as laughter. But not of just anyone's laughter; a specific _fleas'_ laughter. It held no malicious intent behind it for once, though. In fact, the giddy, cheerful laughter that came from the form, running and jumping about, sounded absolutely innocent and filled with childish thrill.

            Shizuo was surprised when he didn’t grit his teeth in anger. Instead, he simply watched as the form came closer, a brow raising curiously as he wondered what the fleas motives could possibly be, with all this gleeful running around he was doing.

            Shizuo was even more surprised when Izaya stopped suddenly, his eyes darting to somewhere on the street. He couldn’t make out what exactly Izaya was staring at. That was, until, Izaya suddenly took off towards the spot and hopped into the large puddle that had been there with a loud cry of laughter as water splashed up, soaking his already sopping wet form.

            And when the puddle finally calmed itself, water now gently lapping at Izaya's shoes, Shizuo caught sharp, ruby eyes staring into his own curious, hazel ones, while a nimble hand lifted up to wave slowly at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by the song- 'I Think You See Where This Is Headed' by Hotel Books.
> 
> Chapter two! I'm going to try to get all these chapters out relatively quick, depending on how fast I finish the fic lmao. Hopefully it'll be finished soon!  
> Hope you enjoy!


	3. Dizzy On the Comedown.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Izaya’s chest was bursting with emotion and he laughed again. This time though, it was filled with nothing but pure happiness.  
> It had been so long since he had felt this way; he never wanted this feeling to leave his very being."

            Perhaps the red, painting the others cheeks and the tip of his nose so brilliantly was from the simple fact that it was cold out, and he was soaking wet.

            Shizuo couldn't help but think it was embarrassment flushing that pale skin, though. Surely, Izaya would have never let himself be seen, acting so childishly by splashing about in puddles. But, he _had_ been seen, by no one other than Shizuo himself.

            Of course, Izaya would never admit to being embarrassed, though.

            Embarrassment wasn't something he chose to show, just like many of the other emotions and reactions he had locked away, hidden deep within himself. But, that lock was struggling to hold just how _many_ emotions he had locked away. It was only a matter of time until the threshold burst, allowing those feelings to come out in a flood. Which ultimately, _wouldn’t_ be pretty.

            None of that seemed to be too much of a concern to the informant, though, as he stopped waving and dropped his hand into one of the pockets on his jacket. The metal of his blade was cold against his already freezing, stiff fingers, but he held it in a tight grip nonetheless.

            Shizuo watched as that hand slipped into one of the soaking wet pockets, and scoffed. He knew exactly what was in that pocket, and the purpose, but it had been weeks since they had actually last needed to resort to knives and whatever heavy object Shizuo could get his hands on.

            Things were _different_ now.

            Things were _changing_.

            Izaya's steps were quiet against the wet pavement as he started to close the distance between him and the blond, standing so dry under that awning. Oh, how nice being dry sounded at the moment. Sure, he was having plenty of fun by bouncing and frolicking through the rain, but he was absolutely _freezing_. It was getting hard to contain his shivers at this point, and a dull ache was settling in his joints, making his movements a bit stiff. He'd keep up the act of appearing unaffected by the rain though, as he held his head high, trademark smirk prominent on his features.

            Shizuo watched intensively, his eyes trailing down the others body as he glanced at just how soaking wet Izaya actually was. His jacket, with it’s fur trim, was sagging on his small frame as it dripped with water, while his black shirt clung tightly to his form, almost accentuating his abdomen, and the small curve of his hips. What, was he trying to win the prize for a wet t-shirt contest? Shizuo understood that the other wanted to play about in the rain, but letting himself get _this soaked_? That was ridiculous. Wasn’t he freezing? It was the middle of Autumn, and was far from being warm, so there was no way that Izaya wasn’t freezing his ass off.

            Those soft steps stopped, and Izaya stood just a few steps away from the dry shelter the awning provided. His eyes glanced up again, watching the small droplets that fell in rapid succession, creating somewhat of a curtain between him and the fortissimo of Ikebukuro. He was surprised by the eerie calm he felt in his chest upon seeing Shizuo.

            Once upon a time, that calm would have never been there.

            Instead, that burn of adrenaline, that harsh sting of pure _jealousy_ would have started to eat away at the back of his mind, taunting him.

            But, as the informant stood there, his eyes trailing back down to settle on Shizuo's face, he felt nothing but tranquil within that moment.

            Neither of them said a word as they simply gazed at each other's forms, unreadable emotion shining in both sets of eyes.

            A soft, barely audible laugh is what broke the silence between the two. Not that it was really _that_ silent. The rain was still pounding down hard against any surface it reached, bringing with it the sound of impact as it reached its destination. Shizuo's eyes fell to the others lips, watching as they quirked up and that sultry noise spilled out from them.

            _Had his lips always been that pink…?_

            Realizing that he was just standing there, _staring_ at _Izaya’s_ lips, Shizuo tore his eyes away, focusing instead on those ruby orbs, burning so fiercely,

            “Hey, Shizu-Chan…” That sultry laugh turned into a voice, just as, if not _even more_ sultry as it filled the space around them, “Lovely evening, isn’t it?” There was a slight taunting tone to his voice, though it wasn’t as malicious sounding as it usually was. Shizuo rolled his eyes, forcing out a short, dry laugh,

            “Lovely? What exactly is your definition of lovely?” He grumbled out, looking towards the downpour they were surrounded by. Izaya laughed again, his arms splaying out as he too, glanced around,

            “Well… There are multiple things I could suggest as being ‘lovely’.” He started, tilting his head up towards the pouring rain. His eyes instantly fluttered closed, to shield his eyes from the droplets of water. Shizuo watched closely as those droplets landed on his face, rolling and dripping down his cheeks.

            If he imagined it hard enough, Shizuo wondered if this is what Izaya looked like when he cried.

            Smile planted, forcefully upon his lips. Eyes closed while droplets dripped from those long lashes, rolling down his cheeks to leave behind small, wet trails in their pathway.

            Or would he sob? Would he curl up into himself, clutching at his chest, trying to make that invisible ache in his chest go away? Would he cry out for help, for comfort?

            Shizuo scoffed inwardly. Surely, Izaya didn’t even _know_ what crying was. He was too damned giddy and mischievous all the time, he probably didn’t even experience heartache. Shizuo was so focused on that thought, he didn’t even realize Izaya started talking again,

            “And this would be one of those things…” Shizuo almost jumped when he realized that Izaya had gone back to staring intensely at him, brows furrowed in curiosity as he gazed upon the blond. It was obvious, by the dazed off look on Shizuo's face, that he was deep in thought. Izaya wanted to know exactly _why_ he was, especially since the brute had been so dazed out that Izaya’s words had gone ignored! How _rude_ , “Something more important on your mind that you can’t even bother to listen to me for more than two seconds?” Shizuo looked away, and took one last drag from his cigarette before speaking,

            “Yeah, I’m wonderin’ why you’re so stupid to run around in this weather when it’s cold as hell out.” He blew the smoke, that had filled his lungs, out in Izaya’s direction, causing the smaller male to scrunch up his nose in disgust. Waving his hand to clear the air, Izaya made a small ‘hmph’ sound,

            “I’m not stupid. I’m just having some fun!” His grin was back within moments as his hands crossed behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels much like an impatient child, “You should be used to finding me during these days, shouldn't you?” Shizuo didn’t say anything as he stubbed out his cig under the sole of his shoe, his eyes trained with a hard gaze on Izaya's form.

            _Finding you? Yeah, more like you seeking me out._

            Izaya was a bit thrown off from the hard stare he received in response to his question, and abruptly stopped rocking on his heels, his lips pulling into a frown. Slowly, he uncrossed his arms from behind his back, and let them hang limply at his side instead.

            Shizuo wasn’t as clueless as he had pegged him for.

            No. He _knew_ Shizuo wasn’t clueless.

           It was the simple fact that Shizuo had finally caught on to the game Izaya was playing.

            The game of, ‘let's constantly go out in the rain without an umbrella to capture Shizuo's attention!’

            He'd never admit it, but that was exactly what he was doing. So far, though, it had proved successful. How many times had Shizuo taken him back to his nice, warm apartment to let him dry off?

            Seven times? Eight? Yeah, eight times.

            Eight times he had followed Shizuo home like a lost puppy, soaking wet and freezing cold.

            Eight times he had taken a warm shower, or bath, at Shizuo's apartment and stolen one of the others shirts to wear while his clothes dried.

            Eight times he had found himself falling harder for the man he once hated as he finally received that attention he so desperately craved.

            And now, this would be the ninth time.

            _How pathetic._

_Playing this little role of innocence? This little pity act, just so you can get attention from a brute?_

            Izaya bit his inner cheek, cursing mentally at the intrusive thoughts that were starting to eat away at his mind, making it hard to keep up his resolve. He felt nothing but pathetic at this moment now as he stood there, freezing cold and soaking wet. He must have looked pathetic, too.

            That calm that was once in his chest was quickly being chased away by a nasty, aching feeling. It felt constricting; his lungs were starting to burn from the imaginary hold wrapped so tightly around them.

            His flight or fight instincts were kicking in, for no apparent reason. All he wanted to do in that moment was turn and sprint back to Shinjuku, so he could hide away in his apartment from these unfamiliar emotions.

            Sensing the distress within the others form, Shizuo heaved out a small sigh, his eyes softening a bit. He felt nothing but pity for the smaller male now as he gazed upon his form. He almost looked like a kicked puppy, standing there with his eyes trained on the ground. He understood how hard it was for Izaya to come to term with his emotions, but it was about time he started to recognize them. He couldn’t just lock them away forever; that would only cause him to eventually breakdown in the near future.

            It was a routine now, as Shizuo lifted a hand, outstretched towards Izaya. Cold droplets of rain instantly soaked into the warmth of his palm, sending small jolts of ice up his veins. Those sensations didn’t last long; Shizuo had always been relatively warm, and could usually stand the cold,

            “C’mon, Flea…” He started, his voice low as he spoke. It was obvious he was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to return to his apartment and finally end the day. Izaya perked up upon hearing the nickname, his eyes almost innocent looking as they focused on Shizuo, “Let's get inside, it’s fuckin’ freezing out here…” There was a small pause between them where neither of them moved, nor spoke. But then, Izaya's small lips quirked up into a small smile, and he gave a short nod,

            “Okay, Shizu-chan…” He walked up, reaching out with his own hand, as if he were going to take the others warm grasp into his own cold one…

             But then, he decided at the last moment, to suddenly dart forward and away from Shizuo with a loud, excited laugh,

            “Come on, Shizu-chan! Hurry, hurry!” Shizuo couldn’t help but grin at the childish antics of the other, though there was a slight bite of irritation of him suddenly taking off. A chase wasn’t necessarily on his agenda for the night, but a small one wouldn’t hurt, right?

            After all, he didn’t find their chases to be annoying and pointless any longer.

            In fact, it worked as somewhat of a stress reliever for both of the men now as they ran throughout the city on random days. It was too much of a routine now for the chase to happen; if that routine changed, it would throw their balance completely off.

            Shizuo prepared himself for the chill that was to come from the rain with a deep inhale. That chill came, as soon as he stepped past that dripping curtain into the heavy shower, and an uncomfortable chill shook his entire being. It only urged his will to return home on, though, and he sprinted off after Izaya's retreating form with an exclamation of,

            “Careful, Flea!” He called, with a sharp bark of laughter, “If you slip I’m not saving your ass!” Izaya laughed in response, looking over his shoulder for a moment to send Shizuo a toothy grin,

            “Aw, and how wrong to assume you’d be a hero in disguise!” That reply caught Shizuo a bit off guard; it was a bit too unlike Izaya to say something like _that_ , “Good thing I never _actually_ assumed that!” Ah, there was the Izaya he knew. Shizuo shook his head with a roll of his eyes as he continued chasing after the informant.

            Their clothing was plastered tight against their bodies now as the rain continued to soak them, not once deciding to calm down. In fact, it only seemed to get worse, and Shizuo could barely make out Izaya's form now as he continued to run, his footsteps hard against the soaked pavement. It probably wasn’t necessarily the safest, or healthiest thing to be doing- running about in the freezing rain like this; but, Shizuo actually couldn’t find it in him to care. In fact, all he felt was complete joy as he realized that he was actually having _fun_ chasing after the flea like this.

            Izaya was in a similar situation, and his grin never faltered as he continued to run from the blond chasing after him. His steps weren’t too fast, though. If anything, he had slowed down quite a bit, enough so that Shizuo could easily capture him.

            The thought of the other possibly capturing him didn’t scare him anymore.

             If anything, it _enthralled_ him. It _excited_ him.

            He _wanted_ to be captured.

            Izaya knew he was letting himself get too far within this strange situation they’d both gotten themselves into. He knew that he needed to stop before things escalated; before he could turn back. But…

            He really, _really_ didn’t want too… He was _finally_ getting that attention from Shizuo that he had longed for over the past few years.

            He had gotten a taste of it, and he wanted _more_. He never wanted that attention to stop.

            Izaya’s chest was bursting with emotion and he laughed again. This time though, it was filled with nothing but pure happiness.

            It had been so long since he had felt this way; he never wanted this feeling to leave his very being. Shizuo couldn’t help the smile that stretched upon his lips at hearing that laugh. It was so different from the malicious tone he usually heard. So different from the Izaya Orihara everyone else knew. So different from that mask he put up to hide his true self away from any prying eyes.

            Shizuo was so focused on that thought that the rumble echoing across the sky didn’t catch his attention at first. It wasn’t until lightning flashed across the sky did he realized that a storm had began, and his smile instantly dropped, lips pulling into a frown instead. He didn’t really mind storms much, but that didn’t mean he preferred them, either. His eyes left Izaya's form for a moment, flittering up to glance at the sky, catching a streak of lightning crackling quickly across the darkened clouds. It didn’t take long for a resonance of thunder to follow, blocking out the sound of the rain for a moment with its own loud voice.

            Shizuo sighed lightly, and let his eyes fall just in time to realize he was about to collide into a much smaller figure. He let out a surprised shout, his hands coming up to brace against the small males shoulders, making sure he wouldn’t knock him over,

            “Woah, Flea! Heads up before you suddenly stop like that next time, alright?” He huffed out, about to drop his hands from the bony shoulders they rested on.

            That was until he felt the soft trembles shaking Izaya's entire body, and spotted the bewildered, uneasy look on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspired by the song 'Dizzy On the Comedown' by Turnover.
> 
> Things bout to get angsty.


	4. Frail.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re not just scared, you’re terrified…” On one hand, Shizuo was ecstatic to finally see a side to Izaya that wasn’t all fake and filled with malicious intent. On the other hand, seeing him in such a vulnerable, frightened state had Shizuo's heart aching painfully. The need to protect the other was a bit overwhelming.

            Fear wasn’t something Shizuo had ever seen painted over Izaya’s sharp, but delicate features.

            Mischievous intent? Sure, that was almost a constant look Izaya seemed to sport.

            Anger? It was rare, and Shizuo hadn’t seen actual _true_ anger shine in those ruby orbs, but he had been aware of traces of annoyance or irritation that would occasionally cross his face during different encounters.

            But _fear_. This was an entirely new experience for Shizuo.

            Next to sadness, this was one of the emotions he never thought he'd see upon Izaya's face.

            He wasn’t sure if he liked it.

            Worry pinched at his nerves, sending him into an almost instant protective stance over the smaller boy as he watched as Izaya's neat brows slanted slightly over his widened eyes. There was definitely fear within that blank stare on his face, but it seemed as if there was also confusion, and Shizuo wanted to know why. He decided to not question Izaya at the moment, though, seeing as the smaller male looked as if he was about to flee at any given moment.

            Izaya, on the other hand, wasn’t even aware of the brute standing there at first. All he could focus on was that terrifyingly loud rumble overhead, and the flash of light that made him freeze like a deer in headlights.

            The meteorologists called for rain, not storms.

            Izaya really, _really_ didn’t enjoy storms.

            His heart was pounding hard against his rib cage, as if it would burst right then and there from his chest. Adrenaline surged uncomfortably through his veins, as if his body was telling him to run and hide immediately.

            He felt weak.

            He felt shaky.

            Shizuo watched as Izaya paled, and another wave of worry hit his heart hard. A weird ache was starting in his chest, but he brushed it off as he moved in front of Izaya, both hands resting on those bony shoulder now,

            “Izaya?” He tried, giving the other a small shake. Now with both hands on Izaya, he could truly feel just _how_ badly he was trembling. Was he just freezing? Or was that actual fear making him shake so much?

            There was another thing Shizuo realized as he continued to hold Izaya’s shoulders.

            Izaya’s shoulders were _bony_ ; extremely bony.

            Such fragile bones laid unarmed under Shizuo's strong hands.

            Strong hands that could easily snap those bones into pieces.

            Shizuo instantly dropped his hands from Izaya's shoulders at that disturbing thought, instead opting to just wave one hand in front of Izaya, trying to grab his attention.

            He couldn’t help but wonder if his grip had left bruises on that pale skin, though.

            Izaya, upon realizing that Shizuo had been trying to grab his attention, blinked his vision back into focus and turned his head slightly, eyes gazing at the blond. Shizuo was standing so close, Izaya could practically feel the heat his body radiated.

            He had the urge to just move forward and bury his head---

            No.

            That urge was quickly shoved aside with a sharp pang to Izaya's heart.

            _You’re getting too close._ His mind echoed tauntingly, his own malicious laugh being used against him, _You’re losing at your own game._

            “Izaya?” Blinking again, Izaya forced himself to stop focusing on that intrusive, inner voice of his and focused on Shizuo once more. Tilting his head a bit, he forced a small smirk onto his face,

            “Yes, Shizu-chan?”

            There was a small stretch of silence between them. And then…

            “What do you mean, ‘Yes, Shizu-chan’?” Shizuo barked out, irritation mixing with the worry he still felt, “Why the hell did you freeze like that? You look like you’re about to pass out!”

            Izaya bit the inside of his cheek, but kept up the fake smirk he had on,

            “Really now? Well, I feel perfectly fine.” He lied smoothly, laughing softly at the end of his reply, “Come on now, why are we just standing about in the rain?” He gracefully stepped past Shizuo and began walking once more, though his steps were much more stiff and jerky now as he forced his legs to continue to support him. They felt like jelly; _he_ felt like jelly. Shizuo knew that it was all just another act Izaya was putting up, and that just managed to irritate him more. Sighing, a bit loudly, he turned as well and started walking after Izaya, catching up to him within seconds.

            Izaya was mentally cursing at himself for showing weakness in front of Shizuo. That was the one thing he knew not to do, and yet here he was, struggling to hold his resolve as fear plagued his mind.

            The two men walked like that for a few minutes, in silence, before another loud eruption of thunder broke that peace.

            Izaya practically jumped right into Shizuo's arms the moment the noise enveloped the city, looking much like a frightened cat as he clung desperately to Shizuo's arm. His eyes were as wide as saucers once more, staring up at the sky as a flash of lightning ran across the it, reflecting brightly in his ruby orbs. Shizuo had made a small sound of surprise at the sudden attachment to his arm, but upon looking down and seeing just how _petrified_ Izaya looked, he softened his expression and let out a gentle sigh,

            “Izaya…” He started, reaching down to pry those claw like hands away. Izaya had a vice grip on Shizuo's arm, though, and made a small, strangled noise at trying to be removed, “So you’re scared of storms, huh…?” The dazed off, foggy look in Izaya's eyes seemed to be enough of a sign to prove that fact. That, and the clinging.

            It was a bit strange, but Shizuo didn’t mind it too much.

            It had been a while since someone had actually turned to him for protection.

            Sure, it might have been _Izaya_ … But maybe that was what actually made it better.

            Izaya didn’t respond to Shizuo's words, simply opting to hide his face against the soaked sleeve of Shizuo's bartender outfit instead,

            “You’re not just scared, you’re _terrified_ …” On one hand, Shizuo was ecstatic to finally see a side to Izaya that wasn’t all fake and filled with malicious intent. On the other hand, seeing him in such a vulnerable, frightened state had Shizuo's heart aching painfully. The need to protect the other was a bit overwhelming.

            Izaya could feel that creeping, sickening feeling of pure fear wrapping tightly around his mind. Dark tendrils were crawling up, wrapping dangerously around his self awareness.

            He didn’t feel real.

            He felt disconnected.

            Everything within that moment felt too foggy, as if he were trapped within a hazy dream.

            “...Izaya…?” The low voice sounded fuzzy; was he underwater? It sure sounded like it.

            Blinking wearily, Izaya could feel the cold, wetness of Shizuo's soaked shirt sleeve pressed against his cheek. It managed to pull him back towards reality for a moment, and he slowly pulled back from the arm he clung so desperately to.

            The horrifying realization of his reaction towards the storm was slowly dawning on him.

            He had just _clung_ to _Shizuo_.

            His _enemy_.

            Well… Could they even be considered enemies any longer…?

            That didn't matter right now; what mattered was that he had just shown weakness to the strongest man in Ikebukuro.

            A man who probably thought Izaya was incapable of anything other than scheming and causing mayhem.

            A man who had never _seen_ actual fear painted so clearly on Izaya's face.

            Izaya blinked slowly again, and swallowed past a lump forming uncomfortably in his throat. He had to say something- anything! He couldn’t just stand there, dumbfounded and fear stricken!

            “Ta… Take me home…” Was what he finally managed to rasp out. Once the words were out, though, he realized they only succeeded in making him seem even weaker, and he cringed inwardly. He also realized that his hands had somehow returned back to gripping at Shizuo's arm, and he couldn’t find it in himself to pull them away.

            Supposing it was better to just stay quiet, he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and bit down hard. The pain was enough to distract him from everything else for just a moment.

            When Izaya had spoken, his words had been extremely quiet, and Shizuo had to strain to hear them. Take him _home_? In _this_ weather? It was definitely too dangerous to walk back, and hauling a cab down wasn’t going to be easy either,

            “Izaya… I _can’t_ take you home right now.” The hands on his arm tightened, so Shizuo continued on, “It’s way too dangerous to walk for an hour in this weather back to Shinjuku…” Izaya's eyes never once moved to look up at the blond. Those dazed off looking orbs were instead focused on something seemingly more interesting in the distance. Shizuo glanced up to see just what exactly Izaya was staring at, but found nothing,

            “I want to go _home_ , Shizu-chan…” His voice was a bit more demanding this time, but still quiet and filled to the brim with dread. Shizuo sighed, a bit heavily,

            “I _know_ you do, flea. But you can’t right now, alright?” He gestured ahead, towards a building just in the distance, “Look, my apartment is right there. Is that okay?” He wasn’t sure why he was asking for confirmation from someone who was barely able to even talk at the moment. Though, his response did eventually come in the form of a curt nod from Izaya, and he sighed once more, “Okay, good… Let’s get inside then, yeah?” Another curt nod, and then the two started walking once more.

            Even though Izaya was highly aware of the fact that he was still clinging to Shizuo, he couldn’t find it in himself to drop his hands from where they gripped so tightly at Shizuo's bicep. Just feeling the warmth underneath the cold wetness of the fabric was enough to ground him down to reality just for now. There was still a lingering fuzzy feeling in the back of his mind.

            He had to be careful; he knew that the tiniest incident would cause that overwhelming sense of ill-definedness to come back full force. It wasn't a new sensation; he had become familiar with the signs of dissociation as they creeped around the back of his mind, attacking at his perception of reality. That didn't mean he enjoyed the feeling of not being real, though. If anything, it was a huge pain.

            After all, how was he supposed to keep up the act of being an infamous information broker if he felt like everything _but_ that, currently?

            A gentle sigh slipped past his cold lips, and he tilted his head up slightly to catch a glimpse at Shizuo.

            The blond had a strange look upon his face. Was that… Worry?

            Was he really concerned over Izaya's well being?

            Izaya wanted to scoff at that.

            He wanted to laugh in Shizuo's face; to make fun of the almost motherly like fretting he was showing towards the informant.

            But, he couldn't.

            All he could do was continue to gaze upon Shizuo with an unreadable expression. Something akin to curiosity, perhaps? It was a strange look indeed.

            Soft eyes definitely weren't a normal thing Izaya sported. Usually his features were sharp, obvious warnings that hinted towards his impish behavior.

            But now, those eyes had softened, as did his brows as they slanted slightly, his curiosity mixing with confusion.

            He didn’t understand why Shizuo was treating him so well, after all the disasters he had put the blond through.

            He didn’t understand why he couldn't say anything cunning; why his silver tongue sat heavily in his mouth.

            He didn’t understand why there was a warmth- an odd heated sensation bubbling up in his chest. What exactly was this feeling? Surely, he had felt it before, a long, _long_ time ago. But… It had been so long that now it just simply felt unrecognizable.

            Izaya winced a bit, as if the feeling was actually hurting him.

            He wasn't sure if he quiet enjoyed this warmth, making his body feel fuzzy in a pleasant way rather than the ‘I'm not real’ way. Of course, it was better than the feeling of dissociating, but it still wasn’t welcomed with opened arms.

            The flipping in his stomach wasn’t welcomed, either.

            Izaya's eyes fell back to the ground once more as a short rumble of thunder echoed overhead, alerting him to the fact that they were still outside in the middle of a thunderstorm.

            As he glanced up at the apartment building, standing tall and strong ahead of them, Izaya couldn’t help but pull away from Shizuo's arm a bit. After all, they’d have to climb the stairs up to Shizuo's floor, and that’d be a bit hard to do with Izaya still clinging to him so tightly. He instantly missed the warmth the other provided as soon as it was gone, and almost regretted letting go. That was until Shizuo suddenly spoke up,

            “You must be freezing, yeah? You can take a bath to warm up if you want…” He glanced down at Izaya, surprised by the sudden panicked expression painting the others face.

            Izaya really, _really_ did not want to be left alone while the storm was going on. By the looks of the sky, and the downpour of rain still heavily falling, it only looked like it was going to get worse, and he _did not_ want to be by himself when that happened.

            Shizuo watched as those panic filled eyes stared at him for a moment. Izaya obviously wanted to say something, he could see it in the way the other bit his lower lip, stopping his words in their path. Those eyes eventually dropped, though, and Izaya gave a curt nod,

            “Alright… That sounds nice.” The words were too forced sounding. It was obvious to both of the men, and Izaya visibly cringed at how horridly fake it had sounded. Shizuo laughed softly, and took a few steps ahead of Izaya as they arrived at the floor where Shizuo's apartment resided. The rain seemed to sound even louder as it pounded down against the rooftops and awnings of the building,

            “You don’t _have_ to take a bath, flea.” There was a fluttering, jingling sound of keys, and Izaya's eyes focused on the shine of metal as Shizuo retrieved his keys from one of his front pockets. They had already arrived at Shizuo's door, and he had busied himself with unlocking it while he spoke, “I can just get you some towels and a different outfit if you’d prefer that.” There was a sort of unholy creaking sound that came from the heavy wooden door as Shizuo opened it, and Izaya raised a brow but said nothing about it as he was gestured in. With quiet steps, he entered the apartment quickly and stood to the side as he waited for Shizuo to lock the door behind them,

            “That’d be… Nice.” He tried again, relief showing a tad in his voice, “It’s just… It’s dangerous to bathe while it’s storming, isn’t it?” He laughed, a bit nervously, “I don’t want to risk anything, you know…” Once Shizuo had turned, he raised a brow and stared down at Izaya with something akin to amusement on his face,

            “Um… Yeah, _sure_. Whatever you say, Izaya.” He rolled his eyes with a small laugh, and Izaya bristled at that,

            “It’s true!” He exclaimed as he tried to defend himself, “Shizu-chan probably just doesn’t know that!” Shaking his head, Shizuo reached up to tousle his wet blond locks, a grin still upon his lips,

            “No, no. I know that it’s risky to take a shower while there's thunder and shit…” He reached over to flick on the hall light, and Izaya had to blink and squint as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, “And I also know that you’re just using that as a lame ass excuse.” His grin only grew when Izaya froze, and he reached over to ruffle the others hair this time, his fingers tangling within the raven locks.

            Sputtering, much like an angry cat in Shizuo's opinion, Izaya reached up and swatted at the hands, his expression pulled into a… Was he _pouting_? Oh god, Shizuo was surely going to die tonight from all these different looks Izaya had decided to put on show,

            “I am not!” The frazzled informant hissed out, “Wipe that grin off your face, you look stupid!” He was pulling his long, nimble fingers through his messy locks, trying to sort them out into decency once more. Though, he was only really succeeding in making his hair even more messy, though. Shizuo reached over, and moved Izaya's own hands away,

            “You’re the one who looks stupid, I mean just _look_ at your hair.” He snorted as he started to smooth out the locks, his fingers gently working out the knots,

            “It’s not my fault. You messed it up!” The pout was back on his lips as he let his hands fall, surrendering to letting Shizuo help him.

            The gentle touches felt almost like soft strokes to his hair, though. It made Izaya tense up a bit, and his pout instantly morphed into a blank expression as he gazed up at Shizuo,

            “Mhm, sure…” Shizuo mumbled, eyes focused on the task at hand. After a moment of Izaya’s silence, though, he glanced down and captured the others eyes in an intense stare off.

            The simple, affectionate gesture Shizuo had shown was slowly dawning in on them both.

            The atmosphere this time around was different.

            Izaya couldn’t exactly pinpoint why it suddenly felt entirely too warm in the room.

            Shizuo, on the other hand, knew exactly why it did, and he cleared his throat awkwardly as he turned away from Izaya, just in time to hide the dusting of pink crawling up his cheeks,

            “Uh… Stay here. I’ll go get some towels, I don’t want you soaking my--” A loud boom of thunder cut Shizuo's words off right then and there as it crashed overhead. From the inside, it sounded as if someone had blown something up just right outside the window; the sound was definitely louder than it had been the last few times.

            Shizuo was just about to turn around to assess Izaya and see if he was alright, but the lights flickering overhead made him freeze.

            “Oh…” He started, worry swelling up in his veins. Those lights flickering could only mean one thing, and he didn’t know how well Izaya was going to react to it.

        _“_ Oh _shit._ ”

            The plunge into complete darkness was quick as the lights fizzled out with a clicking sound. The distant sounds of any other items powered by electricity dying down echoed out in soft hums and clicks, making the darkness seem even more eerie than it had before. Within all those soft sounds, another one could be heard, even if Shizuo had to strain to _actually_ hear it. The fact that it sounded so different from the others had him confused for a moment.

           Well, that was until he felt a bony pair of arms wrap around him from behind.

            The weight of another body pressed up against his back, and he couldn’t help but shiver at how cold the other being was.

            The sound happened again, and Shizuo finally realized it was a _whine_ ,

            “Don’t… Don’t leave me alone…” There was a small crack in his voice, “Don’t leave me alone…” Izaya repeated, as his arms tightened around Shizuo's toned waist. Shizuo sighed lightly, and reached down to rest one of his strong hands upon the frail wrists in front of him,

           “Izaya I--”

            “ _Please_.” The word sounded unnatural coming from the informants lips, and Shizuo couldn’t help but freeze up.

            _Izaya_ saying _please_?

            God, could this night get any more strange?

            Another whine left Izaya's throat, and Shizuo could feel the other press himself closer,

            “ _Please, Shizuo…_ ”

            Shizuo almost laughed.

            It seemed that the odd events of the night were just beginning to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delays with the chapters, life is being difficult lmfao.  
> Hopefully this will be wrapped up within the next few chapters, though.~
> 
> Chapter title inspired by the song 'Frail' by Crystal Castles.


	5. Neptune.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " Do you care about me? Is what he wanted to ask. But instead, all that came out was,  
> “Why are you doing this?” "
> 
> This week the two angry children fight a lot bc neither of them know how to deal with their emotions.

 

           There was something about standing in the darkness, soaking wet and freezing, that seemed unnatural.

           Maybe it was just that- standing there while soaking wet and freezing- that made it so unnatural.

           Or maybe it was the fact that Izaya had his arms wrapped tightly around Shizuo's waist with no means of letting go any time soon.

           Now that the thunder had died down into a soft rumble, Izaya was able to see through his overwhelming fear for just a moment and realize what exactly he had done.

           Not only had he instantly clung to Shizuo, but he had said  _ ‘please’  _ and had dropped the use of Shizuo's nickname.

           Two things that were entirely unlike Izaya to do.

           Of course, when the thunder had crashed overhead originally, Izaya was too blinded by fear to even realize he had moved. His main goal within that moment was to just run and find whatever comfort was available.

           It just so happened that the comfort he so desperately wanted happened to be in the form of a brute standing two feet away from him. 

           With what little pride Izaya was still clinging desperately to, he slowly unwrapped his arms from around Shizuo and took a hesitant step backwards. There was definitely a boundary there that had been broken. After all, they had  _ just _ started to get along. Initiating that type of contact was a bit  _ too _ much at the moment, even if it was what Izaya craved so badly. So badly that it actually  _ hurt _ to have to pull away from the warmth Shizuo radiated. 

           Sighing lightly, he wrapped his arms tightly around himself in a type of self hug as he tried to recreate that warmth. How ever, such a simple thing wasn’t so easy to create without the other person being involved somehow. 

           The silence that had settled between the two was uncomfortable. Only the pitter-patter of the hard rain outside echoed through the halls, creating what would be a peaceful environment if the two men standing there would just figure out their emotions and move on with the situation. 

           It was Shizuo's turn to sigh this time, as the silence continued on, and he decided to break it with a gentle,

           “You alright, flea?” 

           Izaya scoffed lightly to himself. Of course he wasn’t alright. Did he really look like he was? 

           Well… It was pitch black in the room, but still! That was besides the point. He had just shown weakness in front of Shizuo- that alone should have been a telltale sign that he was far from alright.

           But, he had already let his mask fall enough, and that definitely wasn’t how he wanted this night to go. So, taking a slightly deep breath, he evened a smirk on his face a replied with a confident,

           “Of course I am. What ever gave you the idea that I’m not?” A low chuckle left his throat, smooth and even. Shizuo blinked, his brows furrowing at the response he knew was obviously a lie. How could Izaya continue to just put up one mask after another? Didn’t it get tiring to hide his true emotions?

           Shizuo couldn’t understand; but he knew one thing for sure.

           No matter what, he was going to swipe those masks away from Izaya's clutches tonight and finally reveal the true person hidden underneath. 

           Of course, he wasn’t expecting a huge difference. Izaya was an asshole one way or another, nothing was going to change that unless Izaya  _ himself  _ decided to change that. Shizuo understood that blatant fact. 

           But, it’d be nice to see just what Izaya was truly like underneath that cold, hard exterior he had built up to protect himself from the harsh actions of others. 

           He knew there was someone under that shell that craved love just as badly as he himself did. 

           “Maybe you suddenly clinging to my back gave me that idea?” He responded, his tone of voice a bit snappy. He was cold and he was tired; the last thing he wanted to do was fight with Izaya at the moment,

           “Natural reflexes to being surprised.” God, how much bullshit could he come up with? “You know, like a flight or fight instinct, Shizu-chan.” He laughed again, and that malicious, taunting tone was slowly creeping back into his voice, “Though, I don’t expect Shizu-chan to  _ actually  _ know what a flight or fight instinct is. Afterall, he always just resorts to ‘fight’.” Izaya knew just how irritating he was actually being at the moment, but he couldn’t help it. It was better to act like this than to be quivering in fear like a small child, in his own opinion. 

           Shizuo let out a huff of breath, and started counting backwards from ten in his head. He wasn’t going to let Izaya get the best of him with this lame, fake ass act.

           He also didn’t want to punch a hole through his wall while they were in complete darkness.

           Not only would he get his ass reamed by his landlord again, but there was a small chance that he’d accidentally end up hitting Izaya instead, and he didn’t want to deal with a sopping wet  _ and _ bleeding flea at the moment. 

           “Can you drop the shitty little attitude while you’re in my home?” He spat out, “You and I both know that all you’re spewing is bullshit, so drop the pathetic act.” Izaya had to grit his teeth together, though he found that difficult to do when they were already chattering together so feverishly from the chill still settling uncomfortably in his body,

           “ _ You _ know? I wasn’t aware that you could read my mind and my every action, Shizu-chan. Really, your monster like abilities never cease to amaze me!” 

           Counting backwards really wasn’t helping.

           Shizuo clenched and unclenched his fists, his irritation quickly bubbling up into full blown anger.

           God, Izaya just didn’t know how to  _ not _ be a prick, did he?

           “You are truly something else, you know that?” Shizuo hissed out lowly as he turned to face Izaya. Or rather, turned towards the sound of his voice. It was too dark to actually determine if he was facing the informant, but he was pretty positive that he was, “Even though I already witnessed how fucking terrified of thunderstorms you are, you’re still gonna put up this tough act?” Izaya shrugged to himself, and only hugged himself tighter,

           “Tough act? I’m afraid I don’t fully understand what you’re getting at. I’m fine. Just peachy!” Izaya's laugh this time was hesitant, and if anything, a bit shaky sounding, “You’re the one insinuating that I’m anything but fine.” Shizuo truly wanted to just grab Izaya by his shoulders and shake him at this point. Did he really have to be so  _ blind _ ?

           “You’re so fucking annoying.” Shizuo muttered, “You understand it’s okay to be afraid sometimes, right? You don’t have to act like this constantly.”

           “Like ‘this’? Please elaborate. I’m just being myself, you know.” 

           “Bullshit!” The loud exclamation reverberated off of the walls, making it seem even louder in the small hallway. Izaya instantly flinched back, afraid that Shizuo was going to attack him while they were both vulnerable in the dark. He wouldn’t know if the brute was going to try something, and that only managed to put him on edge even more, “‘Being yourself’? Don’t make me  _ laugh _ .” Shizuo's feet were heavy on the ground as he suddenly took a step towards Izaya, and Izaya took a step back, “You know something? These past few weeks I saw something different in you. A different Izaya.” Another step forward, another step back. Izaya wasn’t even sure where he was walking at this point, though he was positive Shizuo knew exactly where he was going, “Sure, I’ve only seen small glances, but I  _ know _ for sure now that this whole… High and mighty role you have going? It’s  _ rubbish _ .” 

           Izaya could feel a lump building in his throat. Was that fear or panic? Or was it a mixture of both? All of these emotions he seemed to be cycling through tonight had Izaya confused; he wasn’t exactly sure what he was feeling anymore.

           Though, he  _ did  _ know that Shizuo was trying to break a wall that he had worked so hard on building to keep others out. 

           He  _ really _ didn’t appreciate that,

           “You seem to be getting ahead of yourself, Shizu-chan.” Izaya replied, swallowing thickly as he continued to move back from Shizuo's advancing steps. Secretly, he snaked a hand down to his pocket to curl his still frozen fingers around his beloved switchblade. No way in hell was he letting Shizuo catch him off guard like this, “Really, this is why you shouldn’t use that dull brain of yours. You’ve come to such ridiculous conclusions!” Shizuo barked out a sharp laugh this time,

           “Keep spouting whatever lame ass excuses you want. I know I’m right, you can’t try to change my mind.” The advances continued, and Izaya was just about to turn to run blindly into the dark until…

           His back hit something solid.

           His heart practically leaped into his throat as he pressed himself as flat as he could against the wall he had been pinned against,

           “I know you're scared, and there's no way you  _ aren’t _ tired after everything that’s happened tonight.” Shizuo was still advancing towards Izaya, with no means of stopping. Izaya cursed silently; the brute knew his own apartment better than Izaya would, so any means of escape would be near impossible unless the lights decided to flicker back to life once more,

           “I’m  _ fine. _ ” Izaya insisted, his voice showing his obvious stress from the current situation,

           “Yeah,  _ sure  _ you are.” Izaya could feel the heat that radiated from Shizuo's body now, and he clutched his knife tighter when a strong hand came up to rest on the wall next to his head, “I can hear your teeth chattering from here, you’re not ‘fine’.” 

           “So? I’m a bit cold, that’s all. That doesn’t mean that I’m not fine.” But Izaya sounded unsure of his own words as he spoke, and he cursed silently again.

           Shizuo knew just how to worm himself under the informants skin.

           “Just drop it, Izaya.” 

           “I don’t know what you mean.” 

           “Stubborn ass!” A rough grip came upon Izaya's shoulder, shaking him and causing him to flinch in surprise, “You’re  _ trembling _ Izaya!” The cold metal felt heavy in Izaya's hand; why couldn't he react? 

           He should've had his knife out by now, ready to cut Shizuo into bloody ribbons. 

           But, it still sat, folded in his pocket, clutched in his numb fingers.

           He wasn’t even sure at this point if his fingers would be able to flick the knife open, let alone hold it tight enough to not drop it,

           “That tends to happen when people are cold, Shizu-chan.” 

           “Damn it--- I don’t know how to get through that thick skull of yours!” Shizuo's other hand fell from the wall and went up to grip Izaya's other shoulder, holding him in a vice like grasp, “Flea, you’re going to  _ explode. _ ” There was a breath of silence.

          And then Izaya snorted on a laugh,

           “Excuse me?” He couldn’t help but laugh more at Shizuo's wording. Really, the brute should learn how to explain things properly, “Explode? Are you planning on blowing me up? That sounds unappealing; you wouldn’t want my guts all over your walls, would you?” Shizuo groaned, and Izaya could just imagine the expression he was sporting-- Brows furrowed, eyes rolling, teeth gritted,

           “That’s  _ not _ what I mean. What I mean is,” His grip on Izaya's shoulders loosened a tad, “You keep playing this role of ‘emotionless jackass’ and hiding your true emotions behind this… This…” One of his hands left Izaya's shoulder, and Izaya assumed it was because he was waving it for emphasis, “Fake you. And eventually, all those emotions you keep bottled up within you? That fear, and that anger and all those ones you keep hidden from the public?” Izaya bit the inside of his cheek; ice was shooting through his veins uncomfortably, “They’re going to break that bottle, and it’s not going to be a pretty sight.  _ You’re going to explode.” _

           Izaya wasn’t sure why he flinched when Shizuo's other hand left his shoulder, but he did, and he even ended up hitting his head against the wall he was against. It was obvious, from the loud ‘thud’ that Shizuo knew exactly what had just happened, and he laughed dryly at it,

           “Looks like you’re already having a hard time with it, too.” Hissing lowly, Izaya lifted a hand to rub at the now sore spot on the back of his head, his eyes glaring at where he presumed Shizuo's face to be,

           “What do you know,  _ brute _ ?” He spat out, words dripping with venom, “You’re not me, so why don’t you keep your ignorant speculations to yourself? They’re  _ not _ needed.” 

           Shizuo laughed again, and lightning struck in that exact moment.

           The light provided by such a bright flash illuminated the room for a second, and Shizuo watched as those narrowed, furious ruby eyes widened into fear the second thunder followed the flash,

           “And there it is…” The room plunged into darkness once more. Within the sound of the rain, Shizuo could catch the sound of Izaya's frantic breathing. With a soft sigh, worry washed over his anger, and he managed to calm down just a bit. Lowering his voice into something more hushed, Shizuo spoke again, “...It’s as clear as day on your face…” He didn’t get a response, but he didn’t really need one, anyway, “It’s alright to be afraid, Izaya…” A hand rested upon Izaya's shoulder again, and he didn’t flinch away this time. If anything, he moved closer into the touch, distraught and wanting nothing more than the comfort Shizuo was trying to provide, “It’s alright to be afraid, to cry, to be angry… Didn’t anyone ever tell you that?” 

           Shizuo had gone over speculations about Izaya's parents before; though, from what he had learned, Izaya had a relatively normal family. Well… As normal as  _ Orihara’s _ could get. He still couldn’t help but wonder if the informants parents really did play a role in some of Izaya’s odd behaviours, though. Maybe they hadn’t taught him that having emotions was a normal and healthy thing to experience? 

           “That’s…” He was surprised when Izaya spoke, he hadn’t been expecting a response, “That’s not it…” Shizuo stayed quiet; if Izaya was finally going to be honest about something then Shizuo would give him as much time as he needed to explain.

           Izaya, on the other hand, was having a sort of mental crisis as he tried to figure out just what to say.

           One part of him was  _ dying _ to just tell Shizuo the truth. To just finally let it all out for once and have someone understand.

           But, the other, more defensive part of himself, was panicking and setting off warning signals to stop talking immediately. He felt entirely too self conscious talking about his emotions out in the open like this,

           “You know how much they were gone… So when the storms came there was only Mairu and Kururi but…” Why was he still talking? God, he was like a broken faucet! “They were scared, too.” Shizuo was listening with adept attention, his eyes wide. This was this first time Izaya had ever been so honest with him,

           “So you had to be the big brother and make sure they weren’t scared, right…?” Shizuo asked quietly once the other clammed up. There was a small hum for confirmation,

           “Then… I’d just go into my room, alone.” 

           Suddenly, the pieces behind this puzzle of Izaya's emotions fell into place.

           It wasn’t the matter of Izaya not being taught to deal with those emotions.

           But instead--

           “You never had anyone there to _ help you _ deal with those emotions…”

           It all made so much sense now-- it was as clear as it could possibly be. 

           There was another small hum, and Shizuo let out a soft sigh. No wonder Izaya kept those emotions at bay now- he had  _ no idea _ how to properly deal with them around others. Nor did he know how to rely on others for help and comfort. It had to be stressful.  

           “...Did you get your answer? Can you stop interrogating me now?” Shizuo laughed at the question, and nodded even though Izaya couldn’t see it,

           “Yeah, yeah… Do you feel any better now…?” Izaya made a sound- something akin to a dry laugh,

           “Honestly? No.” He felt far from better; he felt  _ worse _ . His knees felt weak, he was freezing cold, and a steady pounding had started in his temples. Not to mention, he felt like he was going to puke at any given moment. Maybe he was getting sick? It wouldn't be surprising, considering he had just been out playing in the freezing rain.

           “Oh... “ Shizuo sounded disappointed, “So talking didn’t help…?” 

           “‘Talking’? That wasn’t talking, that was you forcing me to admit that I have emotions.” If Shizuo didn’t feel guilty before, he definitely did now. Of course, it had been for the best for Izaya, but perhaps the blond went about the situation wrong,

           “Ehh… Guess I shouldn’t have been so harsh with you… You  _ were _ being a little brat, though.” Shizuo knew that if he hadn’t been a little firm previously that he would have never gotten an honest word out of Izaya,

           “I was defending myself, you protozoan. If someone came to you suddenly declaring that all you say is  _ bullshit _ you’d be a little defensive, too.” Izaya had hissed out his words, still a bit irritated over this entire situation. Not only that, but they had wasted plenty of time just  _ standing _ there in the dark when they could’ve been finding light sources and drying off. Not only were his toes and fingers numb at this point, but an odd tingling had started in his arms and legs and he wasn’t sure if it was just from nerves or if he was legitimately losing sensation in his limbs. Shizuo went to speak, and Izaya knew, before his words could even come out, that they were going to be a retort of some kind, and he really wasn’t in the mood for any more arguing. So quickly, he cut the other off with a quick, “Can we just stop this for now and go dry off? I think I’m suffering from hypothermia at this point.” 

           Shizuo didn’t necessarily want to stop talking; he wanted to pry more information out of Izaya's hard shell. But, he was also freezing his ass off and wanted nothing more than to dry off and lay down,

           “Don’t be so dramatic.” He responded, with an amused laugh, “But, yeah, I suppose we should change before either one of us gets sick… Ah, do you have your phone on you?” At the question, Izaya wanted to smack himself in the forehead. Of course,  _ his phone! _ He could’ve been using that as a light source this entire time! Why didn’t that ever cross his mind? Letting out an annoyed groan, the info broker patted around the interior of his jacket, until he came across a hard object sitting comfortably in one of his hidden pockets,

           “Yeah, of course I do…” He muttered, fishing the solid block out. Thankfully, the hidden pocket had kept the electronic dry, and Izaya quickly unlocked it. Bright, LED light instantly filled up the room from the screen of the small smartphone, and both males had to squint at the sudden luminescence. 

           For a moment, neither of them looked at each other.

           Izaya was still far too embarrassed from his honesty earlier.

           Shizuo, on the other hand, just didn’t want to see the expression Izaya could possibly be wearing. He was afraid it would only cause his heart to ache more than it already did,

           “...Lead the way, Shizu-chan.” Izaya finally spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. Coughing to clear his throat, Shizuo gave a terse nod and turned on his heels to walk briskly down the now dimly lit hallway. Izaya followed after him, holding his phone up to light their way,

           “Let's get some candles first. I have some in my room already, but I think there should be more in the kitchen.” Shizuo explained, taking a turn into the small kitchen as they arrived to the doorway. Izaya only gave a soft hum, leaning against the door frame as he continued to hold the light up for Shizuo, watching as the other rummaged around.

           After gathering a lighter, another few candles, and a flashlight, Shizuo turned back around to face Izaya and nodded his head forward,

           “You know where the bedroom is, your turn to lead the way.” Izaya was a bit thrown off by this, and raised a brow at Shizuo. For some reason, the moment seemed thoroughly too intimate.

           Maybe it was because they were taking candles to Shizuo's room, where they’d dry off together before settling down for the night. But who really knows? 

           It could have easily been because Izaya couldn’t help but wonder how Shizuo managed to still look good, even when soaking wet. 

           He hadn’t expected that very thought to cross his mind, and he had to shake his head as it did, his eyes widening a bit,

           “...Earth to flea? You there?” Blinking, Izaya tore his gaze away from Shizuo--  _ away from those defined cheekbones and soft eyes-- _ and cleared his throat with a cough,

           “Sorry, I was thinking… Bedroom? Yeah, okay.” His words were both quiet and rushed as he turned around, and Shizuo almost didn’t catch them. Shrugging to himself, the blond followed after the smaller male as he started making his way down the hallway and to the room at the end of it. 

           Once they were both within the small room, Shizuo let out a soft sigh and headed over to the bed, where he threw the flashlight down, before he started going around to place different candles around and light them. 

           Within moments, the room was covered in a warm glow, and Izaya locked his phone to get rid of the harsh, white light emitting from it. The light from the candles was enough for them to see around, plus it created a comfortable environment with it’s cozy light. 

           Izaya glanced over at Shizuo, but immediately had to look away once he saw just how the light seemed to make the other male  _ radiate _ . 

           What was wrong with him? He had just been  _ pissed _ at Shizuo; why was he feeling so… So  _ weird?  _

           “Want what you wore last time?” The deep voice pulled Izaya from his thoughts, and he nodded a bit,

           “As long as you washed them.” 

           Shizuo let out a soft laugh as he turned to the tall dresser sitting across from his bed,

           “Of course I did. I don’t need your flea stench on my clothing.” Izaya just rolled his eyes as he shrugged off his sopping jacket and folded it over his arm. After retrieving the clothes Izaya had sported last time- a too baggy grey sweater and a pair of black boxers- Shizuo turned and tossed them towards the small male with a heads up of ‘catch, flea.’ 

           Catching them is exactly what Izaya did, though he did almost drop his jacket in the process,

           “Thanks…” He huffed out,

           “Go ahead and change,” Shizuo said, as he grabbed the flashlight from the bed and started out the door, “I’ll go get some towels.” Izaya didn’t respond. Instead, he simply watched Shizuo go before he turned to asses his situation. Sighing, a bit heavily, he set the dry clothes on the bed before he started to pull the wet clothing off his skin. They were sticking to him, annoyingly enough, and he had to kick his legs a bit just to get his jeans off. Finally, once he was free from the confines of both his pants and shirt, he quickly swapped his boxers out with the dry ones Shizuo had lent him. Though, he was still feeling too exposed, so the sweater followed quickly after. 

           It didn’t take Shizuo long to return, and he walked in the room just in time to catch a quick glimpse of Izaya's lower back as the other pulled the baggy sweater over his head. His pale skin had a sort of ethereal glow to it, caused by the candles, and Shizuo had to look away quickly when he felt his cheeks heat up. 

           “Erm…” Izaya turned quickly at the sound of the others voice, and raised a brow, “You can just throw your clothes in the corner for now… Oh, and here…” Unlike the clothes that were tossed to him, Shizuo handed the towel to Izaya this time, his eyes averted towards the ground. Izaya chuckled lightly,

           “Thank you…? What’s with the sudden change of demeanor?” Izaya tossed his wet clothing towards the corner of the room, and they landed with a heavy ‘plop’. After that, he covered his head with the towel and started drying his wet hair with it,

           “Eh? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shizuo scoffed a bit, and took advantage of Izaya's head being covered to change as well. He was quick to swap out his boxers and pants for new ones, a pair of grey sweats now covering his long legs. Though, he wasn’t as quick to change his shirt.

           Wide, red eyes connected with soft hazel ones just as Shizuo pulled his shirt off. An odd silence settled between them and they both froze in place, as if they had just caught the other doing the unspeakable. 

           Izaya wasn’t sure why he had frozen; he wasn’t really expecting to see Shizuo's bare chest as soon as he looked up, so that managed to shock him into place, unable to respond. It had only been a quick glance, but it had lasted long enough for him to imprint the sight of that toned abdomen into his retinas. His eyes  _ burned _ to move down and take another quick peek, but he was too locked within the intense stare off they currently had going. 

           Shizuo was pretty much in the same boat. Of course, Izaya wasn’t in the nude or anything similar; but, his hair had been so fluffed and messed up from being dried that it looked absolutely  _ adorable _ at the moment. Not to mention his doe wide eyes, and the soft dusting of pink tinting his button nose and prominent cheek bones. Was that a blush? Or was it simply just from being cold?

           Shizuo didn’t really know.

           He also didn’t understand how he could currently use the word ‘cute’ to describe  _ Izaya Orihara. _

           Blinking, Shizuo furrowed his brows,

           “What is it?” He asked, now curious as to why Izaya was actually frozen in place. Realizing that the other had spoken, Izaya also blinked, and shook his head,

           “Nothing. Just thinking.” Shizuo rolled his eyes at the response, and finally tore his eyes away from the other so he could pull on a shirt,

           “You’ve been ‘just thinking’ a lot tonight.”

           “That tends to happen when one has an intelligent mind… Though, I don’t expect  _ you _ to understand that.” He turned his back to the blond, whose eye twitched in irritation at the snarky remark, 

           “Can you like… Not be a brat for more than five seconds? Damn.” Shizuo threw his own clothes to the side, rather harshly, and they landed on top of Izaya's own with a noisy ‘splat!’, “I’m giving you a place to stay for the night and you act like this? Selfish ass.” Izaya bristled at that, and spun on his heels to face Shizuo once more, obvious irritation written in his narrowed eyes,

           “Excuse me for being more than a bit annoyed over just  _ that!”  _ He exclaimed, his hands thrown into the air for emphasis, “I didn’t want the night to go like this!” Shizuo shook his head with humorless chuckle,

           “You can’t control the way a day or night goes, Izaya. Get over it and be glad that your ass isn’t still stuck out in the storm.” At this point, he had turned away from the exasperated flea and headed over to his plushy bed. On one hand, he couldn’t blame Izaya. He was sure the other was just as exhausted as he himself was, and them picking at each other wasn’t helping anything. But, on the other hand, he knew that Izaya was being completely childish over this entire situation. What was Shizuo supposed to do?  _ Control _ the weather? It wasn’t his fault a storm had decided to make it’s debut,

           “Yes, because being stuck in a  _ brutes _ house is oh so much better.” Izaya had crossed his arms over his chest at this point, his hip popped slightly from resting his weight on one leg. 

           Sure, he understood that he was being more than a little unreasonable right now. But, he  was  _ tired  _ and  _ cold.  _ Of all the emotions he had experienced today, irritation seemed to be the easiest to resort to at the moment.

           He watched with a fervent gaze as Shizuo laid down on one side of the soft bed, his back to Izaya. 

           The bed itself looked nothing but tempting within that moment to the informant. Oh, how he’d  _ love _ to just curl up under those covers, next to that human heater. Surely, he’d be nothing but warm and cozy for the rest of the night,

           “Yeah, well I can’t do anything about that, so get over it.” Shizuo repeated, his voice a bit muffled from the pillow he had his face half squashed into. He resisted the urge to close his eyes; as inviting as it was, deep down he wanted to make sure Izaya was going to be alright before he fell asleep.

           Izaya never responded after that statement, and Shizuo almost thought he had left the room until he heard an irritated sigh,

           “Are you going to stand there forever?” He questioned, still not bothering to look over his shoulder at the smaller male,

          “Does it annoy you?” Izaya’s voice was still filled with irritation, though there was a slight teasing tone behind it this time,

          “A bit, yeah.” It didn’t really annoy Shizuo, but he was going to humor Izaya anyway,

          “Then, yes.” 

          A crackle of lightning, followed by the crash of thunder decided to interrupt them just then, loud enough to practically shake Shizuo’s entire apartment. 

          Shizuo had to hold back a laugh when within seconds, the bed dipped, signifying the arrival of another body,

          “...Change your mind?” He asked, finally turning to look over his shoulder. Though, the sight of Izaya- hugging his knees tightly to his chest, eyes wide and unfocused on nothing in particular- had Shizuo’s worry for the male skyrocketing. 

          Never had he looked so…  _ Helpless. _

          With a soft exhale, Shizuo sat up fully and reached out to grab the blankets, bundled up at the edge of the bed.

          He was never really one for making his bed in the morning- who had the time, honestly?

          “Here…” He muttered, as he yanked the heavy comforter up towards Izaya, whose hands shot out to grab it in a deadly, vice-like grip, “Get warm… The last thing I need is a frozen flea on my hands.” He cracked a smile, hoping to lift Izaya's spirits a bit with the lame joke. It didn’t make him laugh, however, it did catch Izaya's attention.

          Turning his head, Izaya blinked his eyes back into focus and stared at the blond beside him, a question sitting heavily on his tongue.

_           Do you care about me? _ Is what he wanted to ask. But instead, all that came out was,

          “Why are you doing this?” 

          Shizuo seemed to be caught off guard by the question, and stared blankly at Izaya for a moment,

          “...Hah? What do you mean?” He asked as he turned his body fully to face Izaya, his legs in a criss-cross position. Gesturing to the blankets, and then to the clothes he dawned, Izaya shook his head,

          “This… Letting me in, keeping me safe… Why… Why did you do that?” The first time it had happened, Izaya had been confused.

          Shizuo had stopped chasing him, and instead had yelled out a, ‘Flea, can we just stop for the night?’

          He had thought it had been a ploy at first. A way for Shizuo to capture him and destroy him while he had his back turned.

          But… It hadn’t been that…

          Izaya had fallen asleep on Shizuo's couch that night, with his knife in one hand  _ just  _ _in case_. 

          He had disappeared the next morning, with no trace of him ever being there.

          Only for the same thing to happen seven more times. 

          Was it an addiction? 

          Could it be that Izaya truly craved this attention  _ that _ much? 

          And why--  _ why _ had Shizuo continued to take him in with open arms?! 

          It only made things harder and more confusing! 

          “You  _ hate  _ me.” 

          The last statement came out in a hurt whisper, and Shizuo wasn’t sure why he flinched at it.

          Izaya sounded so… Lost. So  _ broken.  _

          “So  _ why _ ?” 

          Shizuo didn’t know how to respond. What exactly  _ was _ he supposed to say?

          His eyes scanned over Izaya's face, trying to figure out where this hurt was coming from.

          The candle light softened his features; he looked delicate, almost like he could be an angel, if it weren't for his devilish personality. Soft, warm orange and red hues were bouncing off the porcelain white of his skin; reflecting in the bloody pools that were his irises. 

          Fear reflected in those pools, too. 

          Fear, worry,  _ heartache.  _

          He wanted an answer that Shizuo wasn’t sure he was able to provide. 

          Shizuo let his eyes fall, watched as Izaya's Adam's apple bobbed as the other swallowed past a lump in his throat. 

          His eyes flittered over the expanse of his throat, following the soft line of tendons, down to his prominent collarbones. They dipped sharply, and disappeared under the grey hoodie he was sporting.  _ Shizuo's _ grey hoodie. 

          This was an entirely new Izaya.

_           No _ .

          This  _ was _ Izaya; the  _ true  _ Izaya that was hidden so deeply under layers and layers of stone cold brick. 

          The lost boy; the rejected loner.

          The only one Shizuo could relate to both physically and mentally. 

          They were both strong; they both struggled with relationships with others.

          They both wanted nothing more than to love and be loved. 

          Izaya had resorted to humans- claiming that their love was all he needed.

          Shizuo had resorted to friends and family, though their love didn’t hold the type of intimacy that he  _ craved. _

          Both of them were too blind to realize that what they needed was always right in front of them, hidden behind miscommunication and loathing. 

          Hidden behind emotions that they refused to acknowledge. 

          Shizuo still hadn’t responded, and Izaya just watched silently. Watched the way the others eyes examined him, almost how a scientist would scan their favorite experiment. 

          His chest felt like it was caving in, as if his ribs would collapse at any given moment, reducing him to nothing but dust. 

          It  _ hurt. _

          He wanted that pain to go  _ away _ . 

          Shizuo's eyes moved back up, slowly traveling up the length of Izaya's neck again, before stopping once they reached those soft, pink lips.

          Earlier, he had thought Izaya's lips looked really pink. Now, within the dim lighting of the room, he could see that they were in fact tinted a flushed shade of pink. 

          They looked  _ delectable _ as they formed the soft question of,

          “Shizu-chan…?”

          Shizuo wondered how they would look working over the pronunciation of his actual name instead of that nickname he had grown so used to. 

          He wondered how they would look when caught up in the midst of unadulterated pleasure. 

          “ _ Please _ answer me…” Shizuo's eyes shot back up to Izaya's own; there was more fear there, panic too. What was he so afraid of? Rejection, maybe? A harsh truth to his question? 

          He didn’t know  _ how  _ to answer Izaya.

          His heart was beating hard in his chest; it felt like it was going to burst at any given moment. His lips felt too dry, his mind felt fuzzy.

          “Shizu-chan,” Izaya's voice was desperate now, on the verge of a distressed whimper, “ _ Please. _ ” 

          Shizuo wasn’t sure what had motivated to move within that moment.

          But, the next thing he knew, he was leaning forward, his lips crashing feverishly into Izaya’s own.

          Another whimper ripped from Izaya's throat at this, and Shizuo wondered why it was that their lips fit so perfectly together, if they were anything but that for each other. 

          He couldn’t focus on it for long, because his mind was too captured by the soft curve of Izaya’s lips as he returned the kiss, and the way the other submitted completely under him, letting him take control.

          Izaya’s lips were cold, but Shizuo could only feel warmth blooming up in his chest, warming his entire being with the same familiar glow that the candles around them provided.  

          He wanted this feeling to last forever; he never wanted to feel cold again.

          But of course, good things dont always last forever.

          After the kiss had ended, Shizuo took a moment to compose himself before he opened his eyes.

          He was expecting Izaya to be the same way; eyes closed, lips still slightly parted. Maybe a blush painting his cheeks.

          He wasn’t expecting the stark white skin, akin to someone seeing a ghost, and eyes as wide as saucers as they stared straight at Shizuo, fear and panic tenfold at this point.

          That warm glow was gone now.

          Shizuo felt ice in his veins, and all that could cross his mind was,

_           I fucked up, didn’t I? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update once again! Not only did life get hectic, but the local state fair started up and I couldn't help but go a few times. cx Anyhow, hopefully this will be finished soon! Only a few more chapters to go!
> 
> Chapter title inspired by the song 'Neptune' by Sleeping At Last. ((It's a really good Shizaya song forreal))


	6. Montego.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " He wanted to say two simple words to Shizuo:  
> “Kiss me.”  
> But instead, those words were scrapped and instead replaced with a hushed whisper of,  
> “Why did you do that…?” "

 

            Izaya couldn’t breathe.

            His lungs wouldn’t expand, no matter how hard he tried to suck in a much needed breath of oxygen.

            They burned as nonexistent flames lapped at them- curled around them, squeezing them tighter and tighter until he was positive they’d collapse into nothing but ash.

            Perhaps he would collapse into nothing but ash, too. Much like the small cinders left behind from those harsh cigarettes Shizuo always seemed to be smoking.

            Maybe he’d be brushed away by a gentle breeze, scattering away across the rainy sidewalks into nothingness.

            Dissolving into nonexistence.

            Of course, none of that would really truly happen. Even if he felt like he was burning alive, it was all in his mind- a mental obstacle that he would have to force himself to overcome.

            Even if his limbs still felt bone chillingly cold to the touch, there was a tingling sensation of pure warmth that had Izaya overlooking the freezing state of his body.

            That, and he was too focused on the soft pair of lips pressed against his own to really notice that he was still trembling from his low body temperature.

            Though, that trembling could also be now caused by the fact that his _enemy_ , the one and only _Shizuo Heiwajima_ , was _kissing_ him _._

            Even though that fact was blaringly obvious, and Izaya could feel the panic building up in his body, he couldn't help but press back against the soft lips, savoring the warmth that they bought to his own icy ones.

            His mind was too tired for this, too hazy. All of his self control and rationalization had been thrown out the door when Shizuo kissed him. Now, all he could focus on was how Shizuo tilted his head to capture Izaya's lips even more, and the way they slid together hesitantly, as if they were both experiencing a kiss for the very first time.

            When Shizuo pulled away, Izaya almost pulled him back in, if only to stop the weight of panic and fear that instantly came crashing down upon his small frame. His self awareness was slowly creeping back in, yelling at him, _scolding_ him.

            Sure, he hadn’t been the one to initiate the kiss. But, he _had_ accepted it, with no means of pushing Shizuo away. If anything, he wanted to wrap his arms around the brute, to pull him closer and never let go of that affection he had craved for so long.

            He had finally had it.

            He’d felt butterflies in his stomach; an almost unbearable warmth had stopped him from thinking.

            But now, all he could feel was an overwhelming chill as it settled in his bones once more, reminding him of the dangers of letting himself get too close to another person.

            He felt hollow; he still couldn’t breathe.

            Izaya’s eyes were wide, and he was aware of the fact that he probably looked _petrified_ , but he couldn’t change his expression no matter how hard he tried.

            Shizuo looked so relaxed; Izaya found that unfair.

            How could he be so calm about this entire thing when Izaya felt like he was about to collapse into a million pieces at any given moment?

            His frantic eyes scanned the others face, watching how Shizuo's eyes stayed closed for a moment and his tongue quickly poked out to wet his lips.

            Izaya wondered if he was still imagining the feeling of their lips locked together.

            When Shizuo's eyes opened, Izaya focused on the flickering fire reflecting in them, forgetting for a moment that it was simply the mirroring of the candles surrounding them, and not actually real fire within the others captivating irises.

            He still couldn’t breathe.

            His chest hurt.

            Shizuo must have noticed the horror showing on Izaya's face, because apprehension soon showed itself in the furrow of his brows and the widening of his eyes.

            Izaya wondered if he was scared, too.

            He wanted to reassure the blond that it was alright once he spotted the regret mixing within that fire in his eyes.

            But, something heavy sat on his tongue, preventing any words from spilling out.

            Where was the quick, mischievous broker with a silver tongue?

            He’d been reduced down to nothing, now. Stripped away from his pride, his bravery.

            He felt like nothing but a lost child now.

            Shizuo's mouth opened, as if he was going to speak, only for him to quickly snap his jaw shut when his own words failed him, something akin to a hurt sigh being the only noise that left him.

            Never had he seen such an expression painted so clearly on Izaya's face.

            Dismay hung heavily in those crimson eyes, staring so intensely at Shizuo that he was afraid Izaya would be able to read his every thought. That he’d be able to strip Shizuo bear just with his gaze, seeing into every fault and mishap that created him as a person.

            Shizuo watched as those eyes dropped to his lips; watched as those neat, black brows furrowed into what seemed to be confusion.

            That was better than the fear he had been sporting before, at least.

            Anything was better than fear.

            Watching was all Shizuo seemed to be able to do at the moment. He watched as those plush lips parted, watched how Izaya seemed to be going over a thousand different scenarios in that intelligent mind he owned.

            Watched as Izaya's shoulders gave small little jerks- and that’s when it hit him, like a slap across the face,

            “Holy shit-- Izaya, breathe!” He didn’t hesitate to reach out and grab Izaya’s upper arms, his strong hands giving the informant a small shake. Izaya's eyes instantly shot back up to focus on Shizuo's eyes as his mouth fell open on a rather loud inhale. The surprise from suddenly being told to breathe seemed to do the trick. In fact, it seemed to work a little too well, for Izaya started gasping in gulps of air, only for them to come out too fast and too shaky.

            Shizuo's grip on Izaya's arms loosened a bit, and he instead slowly ran his hands up and down the fabric covering that freezing skin, trying to bring some comfort to the smaller male,

            “Hey-- Hey now, it’s okay. _Breathe_ , Izaya…” He was far less concerned about the kiss now, and was more focused on getting Izaya out of this panic he had fallen into.

            It’d be hell to deal with a passed out flea.

            He really didn’t feel like calling up their mutual doctor friend, to only have to explain to the brunette why Izaya was even at Shizuo's place in the first place. Let alone, _unconscious_ and at Shizuo's place.

            Out of all the awkward conversations, that was one he didn’t necessarily want to have within the late hours of the night.

            So, getting Izaya back to a normal breathing speed was his main goal at the moment, as he continued to stroke the arms under his hands and talk reassuringly to him.

            Izaya could barely even register what Shizuo was going on about, though.

            The only thing he had heard was a loud exclamation of ‘Breathe!’ and his body had taken over for him.

            He hadn’t realized he had been practically hyperventilating until the burning of his lungs was slowly starting to fade as he relaxed into a normal breathing pattern once more.

            Shizuo’s words- whatever he was saying- must have been helping, Izaya assumed.  

            He wasn't exactly sure why he had started panicking.

            That kiss had been something he'd dreamt of since the day he and Shizuo met. Those fantasies of them being together- the ones he'd never even admit to existing. But, he _longed_ for them to come true.

             So why, now that it had actually happened, why had he responded to it so poorly?

            Maybe it was because out of all the things that had happened, he had absolutely _no_ control over this entire situation.

            He had lost all control the moment he’d shown that first sign of fear to Shizuo; he was a spiral of unruly emotion now.

            It was just how Shizuo had warned him earlier; the threshold was cracking at the seams, ready to burst open any moment, and things _weren’t_ looking pretty.

            Everything was changing so fast, and the fact that it was all changing out of his control was something that only increased the amount of panic Izaya was feeling at the moment.

            He knew that change was something that couldn’t be controlled by a single person, but that didn’t mean he was okay with it.

            Sure, he may have wanted this to happen, but never in a million years had he ever thought it’d _actually_ happen. It was unbelievable!

            They were _Izaya Orihara_ and _Shizuo Heiwajima_.

            Relationships, dating, _love._ Those weren’t things either of them were familiar or experienced with.

            Shizuo feared the possibility of hurting whomever he may love.

            Izaya feared the possibility of _getting hurt_ by the one he’d love.

            Neither of them were built for a healthy relationship, let alone with _each other._

            It’d be messy; it’d be _risky._

            Izaya wondered if they could actually try it out without the end result being a total disaster.

            He wanted to try, so, _so_ badly.

            He wanted to reach out and pull Shizuo into his arms- into another kiss that would remind him of why Shizuo was called the ‘strongest man in Ikebukuro’.

            He wanted to tumble carelessly onto the bed with Shizuo, laughter spilling from both of their lips as they simply basked in each other's presence.

            He wanted to say two simple words to Shizuo:

            “Kiss me.”

            But instead, those words were scrapped and instead replaced with a hushed whisper of,

            “Why did you do that…?”

            Shizuo almost flinched at how frail Izaya’s voice had sounded. How was he supposed to respond to that? He had no idea _why_ he had suddenly kissed Izaya instead of answering his question. A heavy blush settled on his cheeks as his eyes fell to stare at the bed.

            He didn’t regret the kiss at all; he wanted to do it again,

            “I panicked.” He settled on responding with, twisting his fingers together nervously. Izaya's eyes fell as well, watching as Shizuo's hands fidgeted,

            “You _panicked_ ?” He could feel himself starting to calm down now, and felt rather foolish for getting so worked up earlier, “You _kissed_ me because you _panicked_?”

            It wasn’t entirely true, but Shizuo gave a short nod, to which Izaya heaved out a sigh.

            Neither of the two males knew what to feel at the moment. So many confusing emotions were rampaging through their minds- it was simply a big, jumbled mess. Shizuo bit his bottom lip, the pain of it distracting him for just a moment. He didn’t know what to say.

            Was an apology in order? He _did_ kiss Izaya without even asking first.

            Sighing, Shizuo lifted his gaze again to gaze at Izaya with a sorrowful expression. Izaya wasn’t looking at him, though. His eyes were still focused on Shizuo's hands, even though he had stopped fidgeting a while ago. Thankfully, there was no more fear or panic painted over Izaya's delicate features. Instead, Izaya just seemed to be in thought, as if he were contemplating his next move,

            “Look, Flea- I shouldn't have just… I mean, what I'm trying to say is--!”

             His words were abruptly cut off by a loud crash of thunder overhead, and he had to wonder if there was some type of force purposely making those chaotic explosions happen at the worst moments.

             Before Shizuo could even register the fact that the storm only sounded like it was getting worse, he was suddenly yanked down by two bony hands grabbing frantically at the collar of his grey shirt.

            “Panic again…!” The words didn’t click at first; Shizuo was too focused on how close Izaya's face was to his own.

            Those wide, ruby eyes with their thick lashes; that tiny nose with it’s perfect slope.

 _Perfect_.

            How could his features be so perfect, when Izaya was anything but?

            Shizuo knew he had to be careful; Izaya was just as dangerous as he himself was. That scheming personality might have been pushed aside currently, but he knew that it was a main part of who Izaya was.

            He wanted to groan- why was he falling for such a manipulative bastard?

            “Shizu-chan!”

            Izaya didn’t look like that ‘manipulative bastard’ Shizuo thought he knew, though.

            At this moment, he looked like anything but that.

            The exclaim of that damned nickname had Shizuo blinking out of his stupor, and he shook his head with a response of,

            “W...What? Huh?” He was surprised when Izaya's eyes narrowed into furious slits, obviously irritated that Shizuo hadn’t been paying attention. The hands gripping so tightly at Shizuo's shirt yanked him down again, and Shizuo abruptly stopped breathing at the close proximity of their lips.

            Sure, they may have _just_ kissed, but Shizuo was positive after seeing Izaya's reaction to it that it’d never happen again.

            He was far, _far_ from being right.

            Izaya's soft breaths were ghosting across his lips, sending chills racing down his spine,

 _“Panic. Again.”_ His breathing was almost on the range of being frantic now as he tried to just get through Shizuo's mind what it was exactly he wanted.

            A kiss, a hug- _hell_ he’d even settle for some hand holding. He just wanted a distraction in the form of some affection.

            Anything to get him to stop feeling this mind boggling amount of fear.

            Izaya waited for Shizuo to understand just what he was getting at, his eyes scanning Shizuo's face for any type of realization. And if he had to---

            Holy _shit._

            Were those _freckles_?

            How absolutely _adorable_.

            At such a close proximity, Izaya was able to realize just how many fine details of Shizuo he had completely overlooked.

            From the freckles across the bridge of his nose- so light that they were barely even there; to the speckles of gold in his earthy, hazel eyes.

            Shizuo was undoubtedly the most handsome man Izaya had laid eyes on. Well, besides himself, but his ego was the last thing he was going to flaunt at the moment.

            Sure, he had always thought Shizuo was pretty good looking, though he usually overlooked that thought because Shizuo was a _monster_ and a _monster_ shouldn't have the privilege of knowing how beautiful it is.

            But now, in this dimly lit room, while the storm raged on outside, Izaya wanted to cup Shizuo's face with his hands and trace over all the details of his face. He wanted to record each little freckle, each scar, each flash of light in those lovely eyes into his deepest memories.

            He wanted to rip that grey shirt- which was nothing but a nuisance at the moment- from Shizuo's abdomen. Was he toned? Surely he was, with all the heavy lifting and such.

            Izaya wondered if those same light freckles would mark his body, mapping out tiny constellations that would make him ponder what meanings they held. They’d make him question if people held universes within them, too.

            Shizuo's earthy eyes, sun kissed skin, freckled constellations.

            If he was a universe, Izaya was naught but an astronaut, desperate to explore the vast beauty which was Shizuo's mind.

            He wanted to get lost within him; tangled in and completely _devoured_ by the magnificence of that universe.

            Shizuo was watching Izaya closely, the words slowly registering in his mind.

            Before he realized what he was actually doing, one of his arms had moved to snake around Izaya's lower back, pulling the smaller male even closer as he gazed into those dangerous eyes,

            “I won’t panic this time…” He spoke softly, “So don’t panic either, alright?” His other hand had somehow made it’s way to Izaya's cheek, gently cradling the side of his face while his thumb stroked against his soft, flawless skin. Izaya’s eyes slowly relaxed from murderous slits, to instead relaxed and opened normally. If anything, he looked utterly lost and exhausted,

            “I won’t.” Izaya’s voice was just as quiet as Shizuo's, as if they were both hiding something from the world.

            Technically, they were. But that was of no concern at the moment.

            Izaya’s hands fell from Shizuo's shirt, instead falling to rest limply in his lap.

            He wanted to reach out and touch Shizuo, too, but held back for now.

            Shizuo smiled- a small quirk of his lips that made Izaya's heart speed up as he tried to remember just how those lips had felt, pressed so softly against his own.

            It wasn’t like he’d have to sit there and remember for long, though, because Shizuo had already tilted his head slightly, and was leaning in even more, intending to close the short distance between their lips. Izaya's eyes widened for a fraction of a moment, before they snapped shut once the first hints of contact were made.

            He had never really thought about kissing anyone before. It wasn’t something that ever occurred to him naturally, he had always been too busy with his informant work to really bother to fret over such simple things. Sure, his sex drive was a different story- he was all too familiar with having to take a cold shower to just calm the hell down. But even then, never was there a specific person in his mind to cause such a heat to crash into his body.

            Like it did now.

            Shizuo's lips were soft, if not just a tad chapped from the chilly weather, as they pressed gently against Izaya's own cold ones. The vast difference in body temperature was the first thing Izaya noticed, and he couldn’t help but press more into the kiss as he tried to steal some of that warmth Shizuo seemed to radiate.

            The way their lips seemed to fit perfectly together- sliding and locking and sliding again as they experimented with tilting their heads, testing just how they could change it up. There were a few bumps against foreheads, and an occasional accidental Eskimo kiss when their noses brushed together, but that never once faltered the kiss, so innocent yet so intimate at the same time.

            Shizuo's hand was slipping from Izaya's cheek. Slowly, it fell down to instead curve around the back of Izaya's head, pulling him even closer into the kiss, his fingers tangling with silky raven locks.

            Izaya wasn’t too sure what to do with his own hands. What he was sure about, though, was the fact that he wanted Shizuo closer than ever at this point. The need was so great, that he didn’t even have to ponder what to do with his hands any longer. Naturally, they drifted up on their own, one mirroring Shizuo's own hand as he tangled his nimble fingers into bleach blonde hair, surprised to find that it was as soft as it looked. The other rested flat against Shizuo's chest, over where he presumed his heart to be.

            He almost laughed when he found that it was beating just as fast and hard as his own was, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment.

            The moment- which was quickly escalating into something even more.

            The kiss wasn’t as hesitant anymore.

            Quickly, it had turned from shy, soft pecks and gentle lip locking to heavy making out.

            Izaya’s mind went blank; he could only focus on the way Shizuo’s lips felt against his own- so wet, so warm, and so strong and controlling. He could feel his own bruising from just the force of their vigorous make out session, and yet couldn’t find it in himself to care.

            Shizuo was about in the same boat.

            His mind was focused on nothing other than the soft curve of Izaya's lips as they parted to gasp into the kiss, a sound that went unheard.

            Eventually, when their lungs started to burn for air, the two parted, just an inch apart from each other as they panted heavily, both winded from the sudden heavy direction the kiss went.

            Izaya's eyes fluttered open, half lidded and gazing at Shizuo through heavy lashes. Lust was obviously the cause for such a sensual expression; it was clouding both of their minds heavily, making it difficult for either of them to hold back.

            Shizuo's eyes opened after a moment, too, and he sported a similar look. Something dominant- something _dangerous_ flashed in his eyes, though, causing Izaya to inhale sharply as a strong shiver creeped up his spine.

            Neither of them spoke. Simply, they gazed at one another as their hot breath ghosted across each others wet lips.

            Izaya moved first; something in him propelled him to initiate another kiss, so he did. It was gentle, and lasted a moment, before he one again pulled back… Only to lean back in once more.

            The kisses were quick, but continuous as Izaya continued to pepper Shizuo's lips with soft, feather-like pecks. Shizuo matched the kisses with his own, making sure to return each one that landed upon his lips. Lips that were slowly quirking up into a grin, amused by the teasing caresses,

            “Heh… Cute…” He managed to mutter out, just before Izaya crashed into his lips hungrily, his head tilting and moving in time to the open-mouthed kisses they were now sharing. Izaya was experimenting, Shizuo could tell by the way his mouth would hesitantly open, only to shyly close within the next moment. He felt like they were teenagers, hiding out from their parents, hidden and secretly exchanging first kisses.

            Though, he also knew that there was much, _much_ more behind these kisses.

            They were intense, filled to the brim with desire, lust, fear…

             Was that love…? Or was he simply mistaking the passion of hate for it?

             Shizuo couldn’t ponder on it long; Izaya was nipping at his bottom lip and that was one hell of a distraction from his thoughts.

            He was surprised that Izaya had done so, and he eagerly returned the nip with one of his own. Their teeth clacked together noisily, and Izaya made a small whining sound as Shizuo hungrily attacked his lips once more.

            It was really overwhelming- the amount of heat Izaya was feeling currently. It was in his brain, in his body. It was setting every single nerve in him on fire, consuming him whole within its fierce inferno.  He was grabbing desperately at Shizuo now; tugging at his blonde locks and pulling at his shirt as he urged the man to come closer.

            Shizuo got the hint quickly, and leaned into Izaya enough that the smaller male began to lean back. Gently, he was pushed back onto the plushy bed, their lips never once leaving each other as they changed their positions. Izaya's breath hitched when Shizuo shifted his legs to rest on either side of Izaya's own, practically straddling the informant.

            The kiss finally broke when the need for air became hasty once again, and the two reluctantly parted so they could replenish their need for oxygen.

            Leaning back, Shizuo's eyes opened once more so he could gaze upon the small man lying below him, flushed and panting.

 _God_ , that only had his mind immediately thinking of all the things he could do to get Izaya even more worked up.

            Biting his bottom lip, Shizuo reached out to brush away some messy raven locks from Izaya's forehead. Such an affectionate gesture had Izaya opening his eyes, instantly locking with Shizuo's own.

            So much was happening at once, Izaya didn’t necessarily know how or what to feel.

            All he knew was that want was heavy in his mind, and he wanted nothing more than to be tangled within Shizuo's embrace, becoming one for just a night.

            Shizuo raised a brow when Izaya's lips, flushed a deeper pink and parted slightly, quirked up into a small smile. He returned it with one of his own, and tilted his head a bit,

            “What’s so funny, flea?” He questioned, his voice low and husky. It sent another chill through Izaya's being,

            “I’m suffocating.” He replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His smile grew a tad, and a humorless laugh tumbled from his lips. Shizuo's smile abruptly fell, confusion instead replacing it within the furrow of his brows,

            “...What? Can you not breathe?” Worry was evident in his eyes, and Izaya laughed again as he reached up to wrap his arms around Shizuo's neck, urging the taller male to lean into the embrace,

            “Don’t you know, Shizu-chan?” Shizuo eventually leaned in, his lower body resting flush against Izaya's own, while his elbows supported his upper body, keeping him hovering just over the other, “There’s no oxygen in space…” Gently, so gently that Shizuo barely even felt it, Izaya pressed his lips against the corner of that mouth he had just been kissing so feverishly moments ago, “The universe… I can’t survive without oxygen. I’m suffocating.”

            Shizuo wasn’t sure if Izaya had finally lost his marbles, or if he was just spewing some metaphor bullshit, but he was leaning towards the latter. Scoffing slightly, he pulled away from Izaya's lips,

            “The hell are you talking about, flea?” He questioned, watching carefully as Izaya's smile faltered, and fell into a straight line, “Are you on something? You’re making absolutely no sense.” Izaya's shoulders lifted in a small shrug,

            “Maybe you’re too dumb to understand what I’m trying to say.” He suggested, tugging at Shizuo again, “Stop pulling away.” Shizuo didn’t lean back down this time, though. He simply sent a glare Izaya's way, and pulled back even more,

            “If you’re going to be a brat then you’re not going to get what you want.” Those words were a bit surprising to hear, and Izaya raised a brow, before he couldn’t help but burst into amused laughter,

            “What, are you my father?” He let his arms drop from around Shizuo's neck, and instead leaned up on his elbows. Tilting his head up, he brushed his lips softly against Shizuo's chin, “I’m not asking for a _toy_ , I’m asking for _you_.” Leaning the majority of his weight on one arm, Izaya reached up with his other, his hand coming up to rest gently upon Shizuo's throat. Slowly, his manicured nails traced teasing patterns across the majority of Shizuo's throat, “I need your help you see, Shizu-chan…” That seemed to catch Shizuo's attention, for he raised a brow at Izaya and decided to lean down just a bit,

            “Yeah? Help with what, exactly?” He caught the flash of mischievousness in Izaya's brilliant eyes before his smirk even appeared. Another laugh, soft and sultry, left Izaya's lips as he suddenly shifted his hips. The close proximity of their lower bodies had his hips rocking delightfully against Shizuo's own, and he could hardly contain his excitement upon hearing Shizuo's breath hitch,

            “I think you know what… Don’t you?” He rolled his hips again, and could feel the hot, creeping feeling of arousal already wrapping tightly around his nerves. He wasn’t expecting Shizuo to suddenly roll his hips back in response, and his mouth fell open on a soft gasp,

            “Yeah, I do.” Shizuo's voice was heavy with his own arousal, and a sense of dominance that had Izaya tensing up a bit as the blond leaned down, his lips brushing softly against those flushed pink ones. Izaya blinked wearily, and reached up to tangle his fingers in the soft hair on the back of Shizuo's head,

            “Yeah?” Shizuo's lips didn’t stay near Izaya's for long. They ventured on, trailing soft kisses over his cheek, before traveling down over his jawline, until they finally reached his neck. Izaya tilted his head back, allowing the silent permission to let Shizuo continue on with his curious journey, “Heh… Good…” Teeth nipped at the soft bump of Izaya's adams apple, causing him to gasp once more.

            Once upon a time, he would’ve feared those teeth being anywhere near his throat, let alone even letting Shizuo be _this_ close.

            But now, Izaya just tugged Shizuo closer as he was pushed flat against the bed once more, while teeth nipped and marked his neck, occasional licks and kisses following. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the soft, breathless moans that tumbled from his plush lips. Moans that only urged Shizuo on; he wanted to hear Izaya moan louder- wanted to hear him practically _screaming_ in pleasure.

            To see that lithe body underneath him- _writhing_ and _squirming_ would be an absolute dream. This had to be a dream, it seemed too much like one.

            Though, the sensations were entirely too real to be a dream. Especially when Izaya decided to rock his hips up again as he arched his back into Shizuo with a soft moan of,

            “ _Distract me, Shizu-chan…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things be gettin' steamy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 
> 
> Ahh finally chapter six is done! Thank you so much to all the comments and support for this lil fic, it really means a lot to me! Only a bit more to go before it's done!
> 
> Chapter title inspired by the song 'Montego' by Bang La Decks


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